Ilha do Mel
Car Free Island At The Mouth Of Paranaguá Bay, Mostly Protected As Ecological Station And State Park, With A Daily Visitor Limit; Part Of The Atlantic Forest South East Reserves UNESCO Site · Paranaguá, Paraná
Ilha do Mel, Honey Island, is a car-free island at the mouth of Paranaguá Bay on the coast of Paraná, and the classic beach escape of southern Brazil. Most of the island is protected as an ecological station and state park, and the number of visitors allowed on the island at any one time is limited, which keeps it simple: sandy paths, small pousadas and a few villages. Boats land at Nova Brasília or Encantadas. From Nova Brasília a path leads to the Farol das Conchas, a lighthouse built in the 1870s on a hill with views over the island, and a longer walk reaches the Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, an eighteenth-century fort on the beach. Near Encantadas is the Gruta das Encantadas, a sea cave tied to local legends of mermaids. The ocean beaches have surf, the bay side is calm. The island is part of the Atlantic Forest reserves listed by UNESCO. It is mostly visited by people from Curitiba and the south, and on summer holidays the visitor cap is reached.
Ilha do Mel, Paranaguá, PR, Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil
The island is open year-round, but getting there is the part to plan. Boats run from Pontal do Sul several times a day, more often in summer, and less often from Paranaguá, a longer crossing; the last boats leave in the late afternoon, and missing them means a night on the mainland. A daily limit on visitors applies and can be reached on summer holidays, New Year and Carnival, when late arrivals may be turned away at the pier, so arrive early or book a pousada that confirms your entry. Storms and strong wind stop or delay crossings. On the island, the lighthouse and fort have no fixed gate in the usual sense but are best done in daylight, and the Gruta das Encantadas can be cut off at high tide. Parts of the island are a closed ecological station with no public entry. Out of season many pousadas and restaurants close or open only at weekends. Confirm boat times, fees and the current visitor rules before travelling.